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**HyrulianBlackcat** · 02-08-2014, 10:18 PM

Sephira looked around, surprised by the size of the mansion. She had seen some impressively large buildings, but not on the inside. Did people really live in these things? One family with a whole pack of caretakers? It annoyed her sometimes, hearing about the places, for even in a wolf pack, the alpha pair did their share of the work. At least Maxwell seemed to do some of his own work. He didn't have any problem killing the driver earlier.
She moved to the piano and danced her fingers along the keys, not pressing any. She was curious what it was, but she doubted it was anything she'd be interested in. It was clearly useless for anything practical. "Typical of a noble family," she answered, leaning against the piano with her arms crossed. "I'll warn you now, King Maxwell, that it can be difficult for a city-bred outsider to impress me." She smiled to indicate she meant no offense, although she was still stewing over what had happened earlier. Her stomach roiling, not quite in a nauseous way, but it would take a while to settle enough that she didn't feel as if her fire would attempt to escape with her breakfast.

**Z64** · 02-08-2014, 10:53 PM

Maxwell noticed Sephira was leaning against the piano and grinned. "This might impress you. Then again, may not. Depends on the kind of person you are." Maxwell said, walking over and sitting down on the seat in front of the piano.

"My mother taught me this song. It's a good song, but I haven't played it in a while. Oh well. Here it goes."

The song started on soft note, slowly going along. It wasn't clear whether it was a sad or happy piece, but then it picked up. It sped up a little, obviously on a higher note. Then it changed again, but going at the same speed. Then it went back, making it clear that that part was a chorus of some sort. It stayed there for a while, but then slowed down again. At the end, it went back to the chorus, and Maxwell ended it with an interesting combination of keys.

"The last part isn't a part of the song. It's just a thing I like to add. How did you like it?" Maxwell asked, looking at Sephira.

**HyrulianBlackcat** · 02-08-2014, 11:34 PM

Sephira was surprised at the music flowing from the piano. Music created by humankind usually paled when compared to the birdsong she had grown up with. This was more complicated than anything she had heard before though. She wondered idly if a mockingbird could mimic the collection of notes, then decided it couldn't. "Definitely not something I've heard before," she answered. She wondered what had happened to his parents, not remembering him having mentioned them earlier. His mother had taught him to play music, yet he was still a killer, near as bad as Strattus had been. Then again, the prettiest of things in the wild, from sights to sounds to scents, could often be the deadliest. She'd have to be careful with him.

**Z64** · 02-09-2014, 12:05 AM

Maxwell smiled, but he seemed a bit sad.

"Yeah, it's a pretty unique piece. Like I said, my mother taught me it. Before she...." Maxwell paused, sadness starting to overwhelm him. "Before she passed away. Sickness took her. I was six. It was...traumatic. Sometimes I wonder if her death has made me the person I am today. But I rather not think about it." It was obvious that Maxwell was holding back tears. His hands slipped from the keys of the piano and fell onto his lap.

"Right before she died, she looked me in the eyes and told me I was the best thing that happened to her, and that she loved me more than anything else in the world. I asked her about my father, who wasn't even there, off on some trip, even though we had sent him word that his own wife was dying. She told me that there were things about my father she didn't quite like, but I was...perfect to her. And then she was gone. And my father didn't seem to care one, single, bit."

Maxwell tried to keep speaking, but knew that he couldn't speak without letting the tears out.

**HyrulianBlackcat** · 02-11-2014, 10:10 AM

Sephira touched his hand, feeling a little uncomfortable. Granted, she did want him to be open with her, and the more he told her, the more she could understand him. But she didn't want to have to reciprocate that openness. Strattus wasn't so hard to share, but she had other things from her past that she didn't want to. Especially her phoenix form and the experiences she'd had in the world of the dead. She closed her eyes and focused on keeping her fire from making her skin too hot. "That must have been so hard," she murmured, rubbing his hand.

**Z64** · 02-11-2014, 08:40 PM

Maxwell started to get mad. He angrily brushed her hand away, standing up and facing her.

"Hard? That is one hell of an understatement! Look at me! Look what her death did to me! I murder all of my problems! That's all I know, and all I've ever known! I'm a murderer! I killed my own father at when I was 8! Do you know how that feels like? To murder a living person that you knew at that age!? NO, you don't! So yeah, I guess you could say it was hard!"

Maxwell sighed, realizing that how mad he had just gotten. He sat back down.

"I...apologize. I shouldn't have gotten that mad. It's just.....I don't even know. I usually try to avoid that topic."

Maxwell started to take deep breaths to calm down. He felt bad for getting mad, so he hoped Sephira wouldn't get angry as well.

**HyrulianBlackcat** · 02-11-2014, 09:00 PM

Sephira was shocked by the reaction and backed off as he started yelling. She felt her fire boiling as her temper flared in response. She was a huntress, had killed prey since she was twelve. She had learned to respect life since she was a baby, but she also learned how to destroy it. She had known how to kill one of the powerful grizzly bears she was only just big enough to hold and shoot a bow. And ever since she learned about her fire and had first felt its heat leave her body, she was a destroyer. She had burned Strattus alive, and he was only the first. She had burned friends and enemies alike without meaning to. Death walked at her side, coaxing her to send it more as she walked with one foot in his world as much as with the living. In fact, the only reason she wasn't the maniacal killer Maxwell was, was because of Star and Midnight. The pair had kept her calm, had helped her through the rage and grief that followed his betrayal and killing Strattus.
And just like that, Maxwell calmed down again and apologized. This shocked her nearly as much as the sudden outburst. She could flare in an instant too, but calming down took a good bit more, especially when her fire was as unstable as it presently was. She focused on its flaring heat and let it flare in her hand, careful to keep it behind her back. She focused on the small flame, allowing it to burn away her annoyance. "That's alright," she said softly. "I understand what you mean. There are a few moments in my past that cause me to flare too. Perhaps not as hard as yours, but it's dangerous when I talk about them." The fire behind her flared for a second before she got control of it and herself again. She let the flame die and her hand fall back at her side.

**Z64** · 02-11-2014, 09:21 PM

"I can imagine, especially with those fire powers of yours. Do they act up when you get angry?" Maxwell asked, curious.

Maxwell wondered how dangerous he would be with powers like Sephira's. It scared him a little, knowing his own rage. He soon became glad he didn't as he imagined the things he would do.

**HyrulianBlackcat** · 02-11-2014, 10:01 PM

She sighed and held out her palm, a small fire spawning on it. "Not just anger. When I'm really happy my skin gets hot, to the point where I can burn someone when I touch them. When I'm sad or afraid, I get so cold I'm nearly like ice. When I'm confused or my emotions are jumbled, then my fire will flare randomly and be as out-of-control as my emotions. Unfortunately, rage is my predominant emotion. If you threaten me, I get defensive. Threaten someone close to me, and I get aggressive. When I mourn, I tend to go for revenge first, like I did with my tribe. I didn't truly mourn them until Strattus was dead. When I'm afraid, if it's something I can fight, I fight it, often with my fire. And confusion and frustration tend to cause me to flare as well." The flame dancing in her palm flared and died to demonstrate as she explained, the blaze burning brightly as she let it grow.

**Z64** · 02-11-2014, 10:14 PM

A maid quickly came along and handed Maxwell and Sephira their drinks. Maxwell immediately drank part of this, and gave the maid a weird look.

"Mary, why is this water?"

"Because the boy I helped raised has brought a girl to the house, and I know what happens when a boy and girl drink wine and get drunk."

"Well, it also happens when they're not drunk." Maxwell said, hinting. The maid had a face that showed she was surprised, proud, and a bit embrassed all at the same time, then left. Maxwell chuckled as she walked away. He then regained focus on what he had been talking about with Sephira.

"Hmm...interesting. And is this an ability that is passed down, or learned?" Maxwell asked, not recalling if she had said earlier when he had seen her power earlier and asked for a explanation. A part of him also wanted to learn as well, despite knowing what he would probably do with the power.

**HyrulianBlackcat** · 02-11-2014, 10:27 PM

Sephira hid a smile at Maxwell's words to the maid by taking a sip of the cool water. "Passed down through my female ancestors. Only the firstborn daughter receives it, so I am a direct descendant of the woman who helped found our tribe. I carry the royal blood of Hyrule, although I am so distantly related that I wouldn't even be considered for the throne, even if I wanted it." She drained the glass, enjoying the coolness of the liquid. "No one would want this power though, if they had any sense. All I ever do is hurt those close to me, destroy what I feel most precious. Because of my training, I am near impossible to kill, but no matter how hard I try, I lose what's close to me." She set the glass on the piano, thinking of those she had lost, and those who she could easily lose if she wasn't careful. I hope you're okay, James. I hope Star is able to protect you and herself, that Midnight is keeping Elwood out of trouble.

**Z64** · 02-11-2014, 10:53 PM

What Sephira said convinced Maxwell that he didn't want her powers. It sounded horrible. The only good thing was that it made you hard to kill after training, but even that wasn't great if you lost your friends. Then again, Maxwell didn't really have friends. However, he found it interesting she was distantly related to the throne of Hyrule.

"Distantly related to the throne, huh? Well, I don't really have anything like that. I guess that technically I'm royal blood of Termina, but I don't exactly have a legit claim, especially considering how I became king."

Maxwell felt so weird talking about being king. He forgot about it sometimes, and he had only been in power for about a week. Maxwell wondered if he'd ever get used to it.

Then, randomly, he remembered that Sephira was from Hyrule. But for what reason?

"Why did you come to Termina anyway? From what I've heard from travelers, Hyrule is a very nice place."

**HyrulianBlackcat** · 02-11-2014, 11:06 PM

She leaned back against the piano, her hands hold the edges. "I never really stayed anywhere after my tribe died. I just wandered around with Zarola," she was careful to mention the panther's name instead of her actual partners, "trying to find something to give myself meaning again. Finally, I decided that there wasn't anything for me in Hyrule anymore. I ended up here, I suppose, not really aiming here myself." She didn't want to mention James or Elwood in case their absence led to questions. She could have perhaps mentioned Elliot, since his death did turn the group down this path. But she'd rather not bring her old friend into this. She folded her arms, nearly hugging herself as she remembered seeing him and Rose in the nether world, finally happy together. With her inability to stay dead, she would continue to survive for many more years, especially with her training to survive, while her fire cost her friends and destroyed what was priceless to her. No, her abilities were not the gift intended, but a curse.

**Z64** · 02-11-2014, 11:28 PM

Maxwell found this interesting. He hadn't really heard the reason of trying to find meaning for oneself as a reason for traveling. Now that he thought about it....

"Trying to find meaning for yourself? I wouldn't know much about that, but hell, I could probably really use it. Better than the normal things I do."

After Maxwell finished his sentence, he found it interesting that he talked about his own bad habits as if he were above them, or he was going to end them, but he knew that come tomorrow, he'd still be doing what he normally does.

"You seem to be a lone traveler. Aside from Zarola, did you ever...make any friends?" Maxwell knew what he said might be taken very badly, but he tried to say it in a way that Sephira would know he wasn't insulting her. Especially since Maxwell didn't really have friends either.

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